Louder Than Words
by ThePossibilityOfMagic
Summary: They say actions speak louder than words, but it's the combination of both that sends a message too clear to be ignored. Slightly AU, set somewhere around an alternate S3 finale.


_Hey there. Here's another recently-completed relic from the depths of my fic folder. Have to say, it's so strange to go through these and see just how much my writing has changed. Another thing, too, is that 'Always' has kind of made it difficult for people to enjoy any other version of a Caskett hookup scene, so I hope you guys will look at it with an open mind, and hopefully enjoy it all the same._

_Also, again, none of these characters belong to me. All rights go to Andrew Marlowe and his team of writing gods._

* * *

The first thing Kate Beckett saw when she walked into the bullpen that morning was the steaming cup of coffee already waiting upon her desk.

The second thing she saw was the magazine that lay beside it.

Slowly putting her things down on the desk, Beckett reflexively looked around for Castle– but, oddly, her eccentric-novelist-slash-unlikely-partner-slash-maybe-more-than-that was nowhere in sight. Bemused, she picked up the magazine– a brand new issue of Cosmo, no less– her eyes immediately falling to the Post-it note stuck to the front.

_Beckett–  
Thought you might find this interesting.  
Page 23._

The handwriting was unmistakeable; no-one wrote her name quite the way he did. Were he to somehow disappear today and then send her a letter in fifty years' time, she would still recognize that unique scrawl, one that had the feel of studied neatness and yet still possessed a somewhat rushed quality, as if the pen were in constant danger of being left behind by the speeding track of his mind.

Lowering herself into her chair, Beckett stared a moment longer at the scrawled note, her finger tracing the words lightly before moving to the edge of the cover, slowly flipping through to page 23.

Seeing the full-colour, high-gloss shot of Castle staring out at her from the page, Beckett resisted the urge to laugh aloud. Now that they were partners, now that she truly _knew_ him, seeing interviews with Castle in magazines never failed to amuse her. Of course, she'd read every interview he'd ever given– not that she would _ever_ admit that to him, of course– and now it seemed like this was a brand-new exclusive.

Skimming the intro, she nodded slightly to herself; the interview was focused around Heat Rises, which made sense, considering it was due to be released next week. After how popular the last two Nikki Heat novels had ended up, the hype for this one was huge, even bigger than Castle himself had expected. For the magazine to want a scoop on it made sense.

Glancing around the precinct once more, she double-checked that Castle was nowhere nearby. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing she'd actually read it; it would only make his head even bigger than it already was. Not to mention the endless teasing that would ensue about her only reading it to see what he said about her when she came up (which she inevitably did, being the real Nikki Heat and all).

Satisfied that he wouldn't catch her in the act, Beckett settled herself in to read, figuring it was probably nothing more than the average celebrity interview, filled with all the usual questions. More than likely, it would contain little that she didn't already know.

_**-/-/-**_

_**So, Mr Castle, what can you tell us about your newest Nikki Heat novel, Heat Rises?**_

_Well, one thing for sure is that Nikki's world is changing. A lot. She's entering into a situation that is completely new and– even as fearless as she is– somewhat terrifying to her, and she's going to have to face some big choices. Either she can choose to take a risk and have it potentially change her whole life, maybe for the better, or she can hide from it and try to go back to being content with the way things were. _

_**It sounds to me like we're going to see a whole new side of Nikki.**_

_In a lot of ways, yes. I think she's beginning to realize a few things, and the choices she makes as a result of that knowledge are really going to shape her life and who she is as a person. It's definitely not going to be an easy thing for her to deal with, and she won't do it lightly._

_**What about Rook? I know millions of fans have totally fallen for our favourite 'will they/won't they' writer/detective duo. Will he be there for Nikki when she needs him, or will he cut and run?**_

_Rook and Nikki are entering a brand new territory. They've been doing this little dance for a long time now, but things are beginning to get a little more serious, and they're both feeling a little uncertain about it and where it's leading, maybe even questioning whether they're even heading in the right direction. But I can say that while Rook is definitely looking to take things a few steps forward, how far they get is completely dependent on Nikki. _

_**I understand you have been working alongside some of New York's finest for the past three years, getting first-hand experience as research for your novels. What's it like?**_

_The detectives at the 12__th__, they're like a beautiful, albeit somewhat dysfunctional, family. We've been through a lot together over the past couple of years, and they all– they all mean a lot to me. To be completely honest, there's times when I like to think of myself as being a part of that family, too._

_**So, you're handsome, charming, rich and famous. Tell me– how are you still single?**_

_Ah, well, recent years have taught me a few things about the type of relationship I want to have, and the type that I no longer have any interest in. So, really, I guess you could say that I'm waiting for my 'one and done'._

_**That sounds so incredibly romantic. Lastly, are there any final messages that you'd like to share with your readers?**_

_I just want to say this: thank you for sticking with me, for believing in me. Your support means everything, and I would not be who I am today, or where I am today, without you. You are the reason I do what I do. And, no matter where I end up, I want you to know that I will always be grateful for that. Always._

_**Well, there you have it. A very insightful interview with the incredibly dreamy mystery novelist, suave storyteller Richard Castle. And to all you avid Castillions, be sure to keep a sharp eye out for Heat Rises, which hits the shelves next week.**_

_**-/-/-**_

She was still staring at the page long after she'd finished reading, her mind racing with half-formed thoughts and questions.

_Surely she'd simply imagined it... unless..._

Instantly, her eyes flicked back to the top of the page, swiftly rereading his answers. With each line, her eyes grew wider, until at last she reached the final word, her breath still caught somewhere in her chest, her heart pounding hard against her ribcage.

_This was not her imagination._

Suddenly, it was as if a switch had been flipped inside her head; within a second she was on her feet, hurriedly grabbing her coat and keys. As she rounded the desk– determinedly not thinking too deeply about what she was about to do– she caught the attention of Esposito and Ryan, both of them raising their heads in unison, watching her pass with matching expressions.

"Yo, Beckett," Esposito called, his voice curious. "Where you going?"

Beckett half-turned, but didn't stop walking. "I gotta find Castle. I'll be back later."

With that abrupt farewell, she continued on, reaching the elevator in just moments; watching the numbers slowly rising, she tapped her foot impatiently, her phone already in hand.

Back at their desks, Ryan and Esposito shared a meaningful look, following which the former simply grinned, holding his hand out to the latter.

Somewhat begrudgingly– though he was having a hard time being _entirely_ displeased at the moment, to be honest– Esposito reached into his shirt pocket, his hand re-emerging with a crumpled ten dollar note which was then promptly placed in his partner's palm.

"I really thought she was just gonna brush it off," he grumbled, his eyes darting to the impatiently-waiting detective. "I mean, come on, this is _Beckett_. Castle's practically had 'I love you' tattooed to his forehead for two years and she still doesn't see it."

"Well, I think the message finally got through," Ryan answered, looking pleased as he pocketed the note. Then, looking back up at his partner, he grinned and offered, "Double or nothing says they're a couple within the hour?"

Thinking of the stunned look on Beckett's face as she'd read the article, then of the way she'd practically run out the door, Esposito smiled, then simply shook his head.

"No deal, bro. I'd rather keep my money."

Wearing a small smile of his own, Ryan simply shrugged, then turned back to his computer. "Suit yourself."

Suddenly, Esposito threw out a hand, whacking him on the shoulder.

"Wait, no, I'll take that bet," the Hispanic detective said abruptly, adding immediately, "Hell, I'm raising it. Fifty bucks says they're a couple within five minutes."

"What?" Ryan said in surprise, lifting his eyes from his abused shoulder to follow his partner's gaze– just in time to see Beckett and Castle staring at one another across the elevator threshold, both seemingly too stunned to move. Then, as the detectives watched, Beckett simply stepped forward, giving Castle a gentle but firm push further back into the elevator, her other hand blindly hitting the 'door-close' button.

"You know what," Ryan said, grinning widely as he watched the doors slide closed, sealing his two friends inside. "Forget the bet."

Turning to Esposito, he drew the ten dollar note from his pocket before handing it back to its previous owner, seeing his own goofy grin reflected on his partner's face, their hands meeting in a celebratory fistbump as the note was exchanged.

Glancing back towards the elevator doors, Ryan grinned still wider, then gave his head a small shake before meeting his partner's eyes once more.

"Today, I think everybody wins."

* * *

_Well, there you go. I'm sorry to deprive you of the actual Caskett-getting-together moment, but hey, it's implied so heavily that we all know it totally happens. At least this way we can all imagine our own beautiful Caskett hookup scene haha._

_(Or maybe inspiration will strike and I will suddenly feel the need to write the events of the elevator from Castle's POV. Could go either way.)_

_Anyhow, never forget that comments or constructive criticism are always welcome! If you guys ever feel that certain parts could be improved in any way, simply let me know, and I'll see what I can do. I'm all about the self-improvement :) And, though I can no longer reply to every review, I promise you that I will at least try to answer some. Darn hospital, always stealing away my time with you guys :(_

_Well, in any case, I hope you enjoyed it– and as always, thanks for reading!_

_-Laura_


End file.
